Friction-clutch driving mechanism.



No.878g458. PATENTBDERBA,1908.A y. J. A. PIRSUHING. f i PRIGTION CLUTCH DRIVING MBGHANISM l APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1907.

AUivrrn'n srnrns JOSEPH A. FIRsoHiNG,

OF UTI-CA, NEjlVYORKI FRICTION-CLUTCH DRIVING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17. 1907. Serial No. 374.128-

Patented Feb. 4, 1908'.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH A. FiRsoHING, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction- Clutch Driving Mechanism; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a friction clutch drive mechanism particularly adapted for use with power driven sewing machines, and which is simple in construction and adapted to be applied to the shaft and machine table or removed without taking down the shaft, and in which friction is reduced so-as to entail a minimum v position under the table.

1vided for throwing the clutch out and applying friction to stop the driving mechanism. Figure 1 shows in side elevation a small portion of the sewing machine table with a portion of the sewing machine mounted thereon and a shaft with my improved friction clutch drive mechanism mounted in Fig. 2 shows on an enlarged scale partially in section and partially on parting lines details of the construction. Fig. 3 shows what may be be termed a face view of the friction pulley employed in the construction. Fig. 4 is an outside view of a friction disk or plate employed in the construction. Fig. 5 is a detail of a shaft hanger in connection with a cross section of the shaft and shaft bearing box.

Inffactories and shops sewing machines are usually mounted on long tables usually in two rows facing opposite sides of the table.

A section of such a table is shown in the drawings and indicated at 1. These tables are mounted on stands situated at suitable intervals along the table, one of which is indicated in the drawings by 2. Under the table and well in towards the middle and `extending longitudinally of the table will preferably be provided two parallel driving shafts, one vof which is indicated in the'drawing at 3, although one such shaft 'vmay be employed instead of two if preferred y Se or whenever desired. A section ofthe sewmachine mounted on top of the table is indicated at S. At each machine there will be bolted to the underside of the table a hanger 4. This hanger is adapted to receive the bearing box 5, the same being adjustably supported by set screws 6, 6, 6, 6, which engage the box from the top and bottom and opposite sides and enable the box to be lined up to and with the correct position of the shaft 3. The shaft 3 may be supported entirely in the box 5 or any of these with additional bearings if desired. The hanger 4 is preferably provided with an open side as indicated at 7 whereby it can be placed after the shaft 3 is in position or removed without displacing the shaft. The box 5 is made in upper and lower sections as shown, secured together by bolts whereby it is adapted to be applied and removed from the shaft without displacing the shaft. n

On one end the bearing 5 is made circular to provide an external bearing` surface as ey .iris

of the pulley 1 1 are preferably provided with interlockin tongues fand grooves 11a and are held toget ier by bolts 12. Around its periphery the band pulley 11 is provided with an inclined face 11b and also another inclined face 11C, the latter being the friction clutch face. A friction disk 15 is provided formed in two parts to adapt it to be applied to the shaft'3 ,and provided with a sleeve portion 15a and bolts 16 whereby it may be clamped onthe shaft firmly, so as to rotate with the shaft 3 positively. Around its periphery in a suitable groove the friction .disk 15 is provided with a leather facing 17 adapted to engage with the friction face 11c of the pulley 11. For shifting the pulley 11 laterally on the bearing 10 into and out of engagement with the friction disk l5 there is provided a bell crank lever 18 pivotally mounted at 19 on a stand or projection provided on the upper section of the bearing box 5. One branch 18lli of the lever 18 is forked at its lower end to straddle the box 5 and is adapted to engage against the end of the pulley 11. lever 18 there is preferably connected byi l l i means of a rod 2O a treadle 21 located on the floor in a suitable convenient position for the operator. When the lever 18 is operated by means of the treadle it will force the band pulley 11 to the right, as same is shown in 1igs. 1 and 2, and into engagement with the friction disk i5, Whi ii will "te rotating and barring a preliminary amount of slippage the pulley 11 will take up the speed of the disk 15 and drive the sewing machine by means of the belt B. The necessary lateral movement of the band-pulley 11 on the bearing 1() is permitted by swinging the lower portion of the belt B, this movement being but triing at the most. For throwing. the clutch out or discontinuing the same there is provided on the lever 1S a finger 1Sc which overhangs the inclined face 1 1b on the periphery of the pulley and when pressure on the treadle is released the lever 18 is operated to its normal position by the action of spring 22, and in so doing the finger 1Sc engages with the inclined face 11b and forces the band ulley 11 to the left, as same is shown in igs. 1 and 2, and at the same time serves as a brake to bring the parts promptly to a stop.

It will be noted that the band pulley 11 runs on the exterior of the bearing box on the bearing 10, and when the driving mechanism is thrown into its inoperative position there is nothing running except the shaft 3 and the disk 15, which require substantially no power to drive, and inasmuch as ordinarily the sewing machines are out of operation more of the time than they are in operation this feature is quite important.

In order to counteract the tendency of the tension of the belt B to cant or rock the bearing box 5 in the hanger 4, the hanger is rovided with an arm 4a extendingparallel to the shaft 3 and provided in its outer end with a set screw 23fadapted to engagef'lthe box 5 at a oint quite remote from the set screws 6 and) force it upwardly with suilicient pressure to counteract the tension of the elt B. In order to prevent lateral movement of the shaft -3 and resist the pressure of the friction pulley 11 against the disk 15, there may be provided either the collar Z4 secured on the shaft 3 and abutting against the end of the box 5, or a center screw l5 provided in one of the stand legs and engaging against the end of the shaft 3. The collar 24 if employed would be a two-pieced interlocking affair which would allow it to be applied to the shaft 3. In order to conveniently oil the bearing 5 there is preferably provided a tube 26 extending from a suitable opening in the upper section of the bearing up throu h the table 1 in a convenient position for t e operator to reach the saine and the oil applied to the bearing 5 through the tube 26 will also be utilized for lubricating the bearing 10 on which the band pulley 11 runs by providing an oil hole at 28.

In order to enable the -two parts of the friction disk 15 to register more perfectly when applied to the shaft andsecured together they will be provided with interlocking ribs 15b, 15b.

It will be noted that the tension of the belt B is not taken on the shaft 3 but is taken on the bearing 10, so that when the machine is not ruiming the driving shaft is relieved entirely from tension of the machine' belts, which when they are numerous are a matter of considerable importance.

That I claim as new and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent is:

means for moving the pulley 1. The combination of a driven shaft, a bearing concentric with the shaft, a band pulley mounted on said bearing for rotation and lateral movement and having at its periphery an inclined wedging face and an inclined friction face, a friction disk secured on said shaft and arranged adjacent to said pulley, a lever for forcing the pulley against the friction disk, and means for withdrawing the pulley from the friction disk consisting of a finger engaging said inclined or wedging face on the periphery of the pulley, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a friction clutch driving mechanism of a driven shaft, a twopart band -pulley mounted on said bearing for rotation and lateral movement and having a friction face and a wedging face at its periphery, a two-part friction disk -secured to and rotating with the shaft and arranged in proximity to the said pulley and means for moving the pulley toward and from the friction disk consisting of a bell crank lever having a forked arm engagin the end of the pulley and a finger engaging t e wedging face thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a driving clutch mechanism of a shaft hanger arranged to be applied to a shaft in position, a separable bearing box adapted to be a plied to the shaft in position and placed 1n the hanger and having an external bearing surface at one side of the hangenmeans for adjusting the position and supporting the box in the hanger, a separable pulley arranged to be placed about the shaft and mounted on said bearing surface for rotation and lateral movement and having a friction face, a separable friction disk arranged to be applied to and clamped on the shaft in position, and

aterally into and out of engagement with the friction disk, substantially asset forth.

In witness whereof, I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this IVitnesses GEO. E. RENDELL,

SARAH E. CLARK. ..-mi 

